Garden Multiplex 8 Opens in North Adams

Two daring entrepreneurs have taken over the closed cinema complex in North Adams. Life partners George Gohl and Bill Gobeille have not only brought the eight screens back to life, but promise programming that is both more adventurous and diverse.

They have renamed the complex the North Adams Garden Movie Plex Eight. The theatre opened at midnight last night with New Moon, the hottest movie of the fall. Their new website contains their full schedule which begins today, and there is a newsletter you can sign up for to stay posted.

The pair also operates Greenfield's Garden Cinemas in an 80 year old vaudeville house they purchased in 2001. It draws just under 100,000 people a year to its screenings. These guys know how to operate a movie complex. Best of all, they have open minds regarding programming. While aggressive in courting the latest Hollywood blockbusters, they are also aware of the diversity of the Northern Berkshires, with its artists, internet mavens and small but growing LGBT community joining long time residents.

Greenfield's Garden Cinemas light up the nights.
According to iBerkshires, Gobeille said the North Adams cinemas may also add independent and art films to cater to the colleges and growing arts community. Like the Greenfield theater, which holds monthly fundraisers for local youth groups, they would like it to become "a real presence in the community."

We are delighted at the news, and know that we will be finally visiting the movie complex again. They have hired back much of the old staff, and no doubt will be tending to the annoying problems of noisy doors slamming, boring snacks, and that vast empty hallway leading into the complex itself. If nothing else, perhaps they will put up some poster vitrines and artwork to bring it to life.

It is amazing that within hours of taking over the location, films were booked, staff rehired and a website created to serve our community. It goes to show what excellence is all about, and we have no doubt that the Northern Berkshires will soon be abuzz about the changes. Let's hope the new owners keep the standards high and the prices low. If so, they should be rewarded with the volume of customers that will make the new Garden Movie Plex a success.

Is Taylor Lautner the new Brad Pitt? Watch New Moon and Decide.

Taylor Lautner's headshot for New Moon
There is a lot of excitement in the air about tonight's midnight opening of the new Beacon Cinema in Pittsfield which includes a sold out screening of New Moon, the latest, ummm, "outing" in the Twilight Vampire series of films. There is a fascination about this film that transcends gay and straight lines. One factor may be the gorgeous cast, including the new Brad Pitt, Taylor Lautner, as Jacob.

Whether he can act or not remains to be seen. And in terms of eye candy, this is a bon bon for the ages. Reports are that the formerly typical 17-year-old did some serious working out to get in shape to be part of the Wolf Pack.


Taylor is 17. How will he handle the craziness? In the film, Taylor is forced to wear a dreadful wig - he complained that it was not only itchy but the long hairpiece kept flying into his mouth, mangling his lines. However, when he become a vampire himself, he gets a haircut as well as a new focus on his life!

The women hold their own against the men. Lookswise.
In any case, this cast is so cute, so delectable to see that I fully expect the irReverend Fred Phelps to soon be picketing Kansas theatres with signs that say "God Hates Fangs!". Not that the bloodless bastard has any human fluids left in that rotted cadaver and mind of his.

Bloodsucking Beauty
I still can't figure out what it is with vampires, gays and teenage girls. But others have theories.

According to Esquire Magazine, "Twilight's fantasy is that the gorgeous gay guy can be your boyfriend, and for the slightly awkward teenage girls who consume the books and movies, that's the clincher. Vampire fiction for young women is the equivalent of lesbian porn for men: Both create an atmosphere of sexual abandon that is nonthreatening. That's what everybody wants, isn't it? Sex that's dangerous and safe at the same time, risky but comfortable, gooey and violent but also traditional and loving. In the bedroom, we want to have one foot in the twenty-first century and another in the nineteenth.

This fascinating article on New Moon is in Esquire Magazine

You've seen the wolfpack pictures with them shirtless. Here's a change of pace.
Meantime, I expect I will be lining up soon to see this film. And I am not so sure I will wear a garlic necklace either. After all, these days, one has to take what they can get.